bulkley



(No Model.) l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. M. BULKLEY.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR CABLE RAILWAYS. NO. 397,335. o Patented Feb. 5, 1889.

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. 2 sheets-sheen 2. (NoModel') W. M. BULKLEY.

SIGNALING DEVICE EOE CABLE EAILWAYS.

N0.39'7,335. l Patented Feb. 5, 1889.

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nirev STATES PATENT mwen.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 397,335, dated February 5, 1889.

Application filed March 5, 1888.

To all whom it 17mg concern.-

Be it known that I, XVLLLIAM M. BULKLnv, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Signaling Devices for Cable Railways, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable anyone skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot' this specification.

My invention relates to signaling devices for cable railwayswhen they cross or intercept cable or other railways.

The object of my invention is to give a signal to the intercepting railway when a car upon the railway having the right of way is nearing the cross-tracks, so that the attendant upon the intercepting railway may know whether to proceed and cross the tracks of the main railway. v l

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation, partly sectioned, of au apparatus embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of same with the upper half removed. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through. the conduit, showing a body arranged within the path of a passing car. Fig. 4. is a plan view of a portion of the latter, showing the slot in the'conduit with a portion ol the way removed. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the a]' paratus shown in Fig. l, taken on the line 5 s". ol said figure. Fig. G is a section ol' a detail showing the mechanism for coupling the signal-giving dehow the coupling-pawl is held out of action. l

' Fig. S is an elevation, partly sectioned, the

at a crossing' when applied to a double track. l

Fig. l2 is a sectional elevation of a detail view. spending to Fig. G, showing the means for coupling the two signaling devices with the Fig. 13 is a section of a detail correi Serial No. 266,254. (No model.)

mechanism that is controlled by the cable. Fig. il-i vis a sectional detail view, corresponding to Fig. 7, of the means for holding the two coupling-pawls out of action.

The same .figures of reference indicate the same or corresponding partsthroughout the various figures.

lis the conduit having a slot, 2, therein,

Having now more particular reference to Sheet l, 4 is a post arranged at the corner of a crossing and is provided with a rotary lamp,

5, which seats upon the post al. at a point, 29.

The lamp 5 carries an arrow, 6, at the top. 65

The lamp is to Abe used at night and the arrow during the day. The said lamp 5 is provided with red and white glass to give the required signal, and the direction the arrow 6 is pointed indicates the signal. Passing to the lamp 5 7o is a vertical shaft, 7, which passes through the hollow post 4. into a box, S, beneath the sidewalk, and is pivoted at its lower end at a point, 9, supported by a platform, l0, arranged about midway of said boX. In the lower half of said box is also avertical shaft, ll,entirely independent of shaft 7. This shaft ll is pivoted at the lower side of the box S and carries a bevel-wheel, l2, at its lower end and a ratchet wheel', ll il, at its upper end. The 8o bevel-wheel li meshes with a second bevelwheel, '14, of similar diameter, which is arf ranged upon a shaft, l5, that projects through the conduit and is coupled with the shaft of the cable-supportin wheel 1G. A constant 85 i rotation is imparted. through the instrumeni tality of the mechanism described to the ratchet-wheel lli. From. the vertical shaft 7 extend pawls i7, which are pivoted to a metal l piece attached to said vert-ical shaft 7. The 9o l pawls 17 normally rest upon a rim, IS, upon i theplatform l0. The said rim is not conj tinuous, but terminatesin an inclined noso,

lt), which projects downward, a quadrant bcing cut out. of the platform l0. The cutaway portion of the platform is of such shape and size only as to allow one of the pawls 17 y at a time, when released, to fall on the ratcheti wheel and couple the shaft il with the shaft 7.

` nates abruptly at the point where. the plati form is cut away, and the pawl just beyond and 3 the cable traveling within said conduit. 6o

The rim 18 at the other end termirco this end of the rim is held up preferably by an armaturedevcr, 20, arranged adjacent to a stop, 21, which stop is in the path of the pawls. The armature-lever 20 is pivoted beneath the platform l0, between two lugs that extend from same. fleneath said platform, also, preferably arranged an electro-magnet, 22, which is connected by a circuit, 23, havingI a source of electrical suppl y, 2.4-, at any point therein. The circuit i223 passes to two electric terminals, 2i and 25, which are ar ranged adjacent to a lever, E2G, suitably disposed in the conduitiu the path of the griplever. 'lhe lever t is provided with a spring joint, which allows it to be operated when struck in one direction, said spring and joint giving, should the lever be struck in the opposite direction. The lever also provided with an angular piece, 27, which operates u pon the terminal lt is further provided with a spring, QQ, for Vholding it in itsnorlual position.

The operation of the al ovcdescribed mechanism is as follows: A ear traveling in the direction of the arrow in hig. 4- will operate the lever Eiland force the angular piece 27 against the spring-terminal 2o, causing it to make contact with the terminal 2l, and thus complete the circuitI 23 through the elect-romaguet 22, which electro-magnet becomes vitalized, attracts the armature-lever 20, and aillows the pawl i7 to escape the end thereof and drop down below the stop 2]A onto the ratchetwhecl lf3, which is constantly rotating. By this means the shaft 7 is coupled to the shaft ll and the shaft 7 is rotated, thus turning the signal. The shaft 7 rotates but one quarter of arevolution, for as soon as the pawl 17 reaches the nose 1.() it is raised thereby, and hence disconnects the shaft 7 from the shaft ll. The forn'ier therefore stops rotating, the signal is positioned, and the next pawl, 17, is caught by the stop 91 and is held up by the armattire-lever 20, which has fallen away from its electro-magnet by reason of the fact that thc car having passed, the circuit 23 is broken and the electro-magnet (le-energized. It will be seen, therefore, that a signal is thus given to the cross-road of the approach of a car upon the main road, which has the right of way.

Having now particular reference to Sheet 2, it will be noted that the same disposition of parts is maintainei'l, but that the same have been merely duplicated. In this latter instance two sets of pawls are used, one set being pivotally ai'txed to the shaft 7, as before, andthe other set being affixed to a hollow shaft surrounding the shaft 7, the shaft 7 turning the upper signal, 5 G, and the hollow shaft turning the lower signal. The duplicate parts l have designateifl by the index or prime lA throughout (he several views of Sheet 2. The pawls 17 17 are set at diiiferent angular distanc 1s, so that said pawls belonging to the two different signals do not interfere with each other in their operatiim. The construction of the double-signal apparatus will be evident from the foregoing description, with the letters of reference marked thereon as I have indicated, without further description.

Referring to Fig. ll, it will bc noted that the main railway only controls the signaling device 4t. As usual, it is understood that one road in erossin g has the right of way, and the same assumption is made in the present case; so that the oivierator upon the main linelooks forno signahbut proceeds i nd cpend ently of th e cross-road, the operator upon wh ich latter road cannot proceed until he is assured that the main track is clear for considerable distance above and below the crossing.V l\lormally, therefore, the signal it stands as represented in Fig. ll, giving, iuiu'nlally, the cross-road the right of way also. Should, now, a car proceed on the main line in the direction of the arrow from left to right, the lever 2U will be operated and turn the signal t in the direct-ion ini'licated by the dotted line, thus notifyin the operator upon the crossroad that a car is nearing the crossing upon the main road. `\Vhen the car upon the main road procceds and makes the crossing, it operates the lever 2G upon the other side of said crossing and thereby effects another q uartcr-tu rn of the signal, setting it in its normal position, and thus indicates to the crossroad that theroad is clear again. A car proceeding in the op posite direction ou the main track upon the return-track will operate the lower signal, 5

6', in the same marmer, and thus indicate to the crossroad whether the return-track also clear, so that the operator on the crossroad before crossing must be assured that both the upper and lower signals are setin a position to indicate that both thedirect and return tracks of the main track are clear. The operator on the cross-road must therefore be certain that both signals are in the right directionv before he attenipts to cross. In fact an audible signal could be used in place of a visual one and accomplish practically the saine result. Generally in the operation of a cable railroad where they cross` cable orv other railroads a flaginan is required to stand at the crossing and signal the operator upon the cross-road.

My invention does away with the services of a iiagman, is not an expensive apparatus, nor is it in the way in the street any more than an ordinary lainp-post. operation and not likely to get out of order, requires no attention and no additional motive power, excepting, perhaps, a few cells of battery. It will be noted, therefore, thatit el'- fects economy. It will be noted, further, that it, being entirely automatic in operation, can be relied on more than a l'iagm an.

llfaving now fully set forth my invention and described its purpose, operation, and advantages, what l d. sire to claim and secure by Letters lateilt of the United. States as my invention is-- l. A signaling device for cable railways,

It is reliable in` IOO IIO

consisting of a body interposed within the conduit in the path of the travel of the cars, a cross-road, arotary signal at said cross-road, and electrical connections, whereby when said body is operated upon by a car a signal is given, for the purpose set forth.

2. A cable-railway system having a signal connected with and operated from. one of the cable-pulleys, for the purpose described.

3. A signaling device for cable railways at crossings, consisting' of a body arranged within the path of the cars, a signal at a crossing, a system of gearing connected with the cablesupporting wheel at said signal, and a coupler controlled bythe aforementioned body for temporarily connecting the signal to the system of gearing to operate said signal.

4. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, of the signal' (5, the shaft 7, operating said signal, the pawls carried thereby, a system of gearing operated by the cable, a body interposed in the path of the cars and within the conduit, and a lever controlled by said body and supporting one of said pawls, as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, of the signal 5 G, the post 4, the shaft 7, controlling said signal, the box S beneath the level of the way, a system of gearing rotated by the cable and within said box, a series of pawls pivctally secured to the signalshaft 7, the riln 1S upon a platform, 10, within said box and having a cut-away part, as described, an inclined nose, 19, extending from said rim, the stop 21, an armature-lever, 20, for holding` one of said pawls from action, a circuit and source of electrical supply, and a lever arranged in the path of the cars to control said circuit, for the purpose described.

G. The combination of a lever in the path of the cars and arranged within the conduit of a cable railway at one side of an intercept ing railway, a second lever arranged similar to the first, but upon the opposite side of said intercepting railway, a rotary signal at the crossing, and electrical connections between the iirst and second levers and the signaling device, whereby said signal is operated upon the approach and departure of a car.

7. The combination of a body arranged i within the path of the cars traveling upon a cable railway and arranged within the conduit at one side of a cross-road, a second body similarly arranged upon the other side of said cross-road, a return-track having two bodies arranged within the path of the cars and similarly disposed as the foregoing, rotary signaling devices at said crossing, and electrical connections between the aforementioned bodies and the signaling devices, whereby a signal is given and withdrawn when a car approaches and recedes from the crossing on the main track in either direction.

8. A signaling device for a double-track cable railway, consisting of two signals, substantially as 5 6 and 5 6', a shaft controlling the former signal, a hollow shaft surrounding the aforesaid shaft and controlling the latter signal, couplers for connecting either signal to a coiistantly-rotatin g gearing controlled by the cable, levers and stops governing said couplers, and bodies arranged within the path of a directand return track for actuating said levers.

9. The combination of the signals 5 6 and 5- 6', the shafts 7 and 7', the pawls 17 and 17', pivotally aitixed to said shafts, the rims 18 and 1S', having downward]y-projecting noses 19 and 19', the ratchets 13 and 13', geared to the cable, armature levers 2O and 20 and stops, the electro-magnets, a double track, and circuit-controlling levers arranged within the conduits of said double tracks upon each side of a cross-road near the signaling devices.

10. rlhe combination, with a cable railway and crossroad, of a ,rotary signal at said cross-road, gearing rot-ated by the cable, a coupler intermed iate of the latter and the sig nal, and electrical connections on each side of said cross-road arranged within the path of the cars controlling said coupler, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I .have hereunto set my hand, this 19th day of February, 1888, in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

lVN. lll. BULKLEY.

ll'itncsscs:

A. C. FowLER,

Jas. F. ANDERSON. 

